Some cards

Last weekend I finally was able to sit and create - from Fri to Sun. I created 8 cards. A couple were inspiration from the July/Aug issue of Papercrafts Magazine. I was surprised how fast I created them. I will post some here, but I don't want to overwhelm you with all of them. If you'd like to see all of them there is a button on the right side that will take you to my place at scrapbook.com. Here are a few...sorry for the wonky scans...guess my cards are a bit lumpy!

Ok so, who knows why the blogger is underlining and changing the color of the font???

Tonight I just created another one. It looks a like it might need something more, if you think it does, please let me know. Here it is I really like this quote, it's so true!

I really need to create quite a few thank you cards. I really received some beautiful sympathy cards from friends. It's kind of hard to believe it's been nearly 6 weeks or so since Tim's passing.

Please stop by Busy Beauties Creation Station and leave your vote/comment. Some changes are in the works and I know Carolyn and Thomas would like your input!

Thanks for taking time to stop by, I really appreciate it!

Time to get back into the swing of things?

I guess I should let you know what I've been up to while absent from blogging. On May 24, I lost my sweetheart. The cancer finally won. Tim tried coming home from the hospital on May 17 and it was not be. He went back to the hospital within an hour or so of coming home. While going through this I was called about a job I applied and interviewed for. I was to start work at the end of the month and I started to become very concerned about who would take care of Tim. I had heard from a nurse that Tim was considering hospice. I hadn't even been thinking that and so I was thrown a bit. I had emailed his oncologist at Karmanos Cancer Center to see if that was the best choice and that there was nothing else she could do, she emailed me back and said that's what would be best. I wanted to make sure every avenue was covered before talking to him about it. I really didn't talk to him about it as one of the doctor's from his primary doctor's group mentioned to Tim and he said he hadn't decided but was interested in receiving information. Later a person from the hospice came to talk to us about it, but Tim slept through the whole meeting. As I see it, God took over from there. For all the resumes I sent out while unemployed and didn't get a job, I believe it was because God wanted me to be there for Tim. Here is an old layout I made in May of 2008 using What Cancer Cannot Do poem.

So I've started my job and am working on getting everything else figured out. There are times I still cry, a certain memory, song or even a movie. I stopped by a friend's house and they had on Aeon Flux. That was a movie I saw with Tim, his friend and his friend's wife. We saw it when I visited Tim here in Toledo before moving here.

We'll be staying here as long as we can. Noah doesn't want to leave his high school and Mitch started at the community college taking a summer class. He will be full time in the fall.

It is so heartwarming to see Tim's Facebook page and all the wonderful condolences, thoughts and memories that friends and coworkers have posted. I've had some wonderful friends and family members pull me through and I am so very thankful.

Just Had to

post. Tim and I usually are on Yahoo Im during the day while he is at work. We can keep in touch and he'll respond when he's not on a phone call. It helps when planning Karmanos visits, dr. visits, etc. Sometimes we also send each other links to news stories. Today he sent this one. It really breaks my heart that this even has to take place. We are the only industrialized nation that does not have national healthcare. So instead we have to figure out ways to live as this family had to do. Tim is in a drug trial and yes the drugs and many of the tests are covered under that pharmaceutical company. But they do not cover missed days from work when you have run out of sick days or vacation days. The first month or so of the drug trial is the hardest you're there quite a bit and if you have to travel any distance it is quite exhausting. So please read this article.

Reflections @ 48

Yes, I know a proper lady wouldn't tell her age or her weight! Believe me you don't want to know my weight. Age really doesn't bother me except when I try to do something that used to come easy to me :o)! Of course ask me that again when my 50th birthday is approaching I may have a whole different view LOL. This year my birthday also marks that it has been a year since I lost my job. It was on Friday of this week. I really am concerned about whether or not I'll find a job again. This economy is so scary! Today's Blade (local newspaper) showed the unemployment rates for Lucas and surrounding counties. It showed 13.3% for Lucas county and 14.3% for Toledo, of course that does not even include those who are off the unemployment rolls. Many of the surrounding counties are similar or worse. Ohio and Michigan are very high due to the high concentration of auto worker and manufacturing type jobs for the auto industry. So many businesses are closing up and I don't mean just auto industry type places. I have applied for everything from my Administrative Assistant background to a clerk at the local meat market, veggie/deli market, kohl's, home depot and Hobby Lobby...however that might not be a good place for me to work **grins**. Thankfully unemployment has been extended for this area, but it still isn't a job. Being a mid-westerner I have a strong work ethic and like the fulfillment of having a job. I've also met most of my oldest and dearest friends through working. Not that I haven't met some wonderful friends through blogging, but they tend to be far-flung and it isn't easy to get together and comisserate, oh boy would I love to do that! I do consider my blogging friends, friends not just blogging friends. Hopefully some day we'll have the chance to meet.

Noah got information on getting a class ring. Boy the cost is way higher than when I got mine 30 yrs ago! OMG 30 yrs ago, I just realized that it's been that long since I graduated HS! Hopefully I've talked him into waiting a year. He is working a work study job and gets a small check once a month (of course to him and his bro it seems like a lot). He got his first check this past Sat. He says to me go start an acct so I can have $$. I told him that's not how it works. I said you have to have a state id and some other proof of who you are. Plus it was Sat, so the credit union isn't even open after noon. Yesterday we tried to go get both of the boys state id's, but it was so packed we didn't stay.

Mitch is working on his schooling daily and will be taking the OGT's in just under two weeks. In Ohio you need to pass graduation tests in order to graduate. Most people here are surprised that you do not need to pass a graduation test in Wisconsin to graduate. I hope it goes well for Mitch! There are pre-tests online, so I'll have to have him do them so he can see how it works.

Tim will be starting chemotherapy again tomorrow. He was on a two week break. He has vacation in about two weeks it actually coincides with Mitch's OGT's so at least that'll be nice not to have to get up @ 4:30 to take him to work so I can have the car to take Mitch to testing. He also applied for vacation for the end of July so we can go to my family reunion. I can't wait to see family and Wisconsin again. Of course it'll be difficult because I'll want to see friends in Milwaukee as well as family in NW Wisconsin. It's all be good :).

March is Colorectal Cancer month and if you're interested there is a Cover Your Butt campaign. You can click the link and see what you can do to help support the campaign. It's a worthwhile campaign, I just wish that it would include ages younger than 50. Tim was only 43 when he was diagnosed with rectal cancer. His son will have to start getting a colonoscopy at age 30, that is what the surgeon recommended. Thinking about getting a Cover Your Butt t-shirt, wouldn't that be a hoot? Breast cancer has Save the Tatas! which would be fun to get too, but I think breast cancer has so much more support than rectal cancer or lung cancer.

Today I'm making steak and shrimp with pasta for my birthday supper. I should get going and get that started. Tim wants to drive up to MI for some computer parts he found on craigslist. The great part about that is that there is a Culver's in that city so we can get some frozen custard for my birthday treat! Today's flavor is Just Drummy which means it is vanilla frozen custard with peanuts, waffle cone pieces and hard chocolate. Yum Yum! Not one of my faves, but it'll do because ummm it has chocolate and nuts. I love their chocolate covered strawberry, mint explosion, almond hooray (similar to a mounds bar in frozen custard). Okay enough I gotta get going and get supper started Tim will be home soon from his PA appt. Have a great Wednesday!